Hygroscopic air escape valve



Sept. 20, 1955 B. .1. BLUMBERG HYGROSCOPIC AIR ESCAPE VALVE Filed Oct. 28, 1954 FIG.|

INVENYTOR. I Benjamin JBI m AT oauzv United States Patent HYGROSCQPIC ESCAPE VALVE Benjamin J, Blumberg, New York, N. Y.

Application October 28, 1 954, Serial No. 465,363

7 Claims. (Cl. 137- 197) The present invention relates to an air escape valve for hot water heating systems,or the like, and more particularly, to a hygroscopic air escape valve of the type generally installed on the radiators of such heating systerns.

Hygroscopic valves of the general type to which the present invention relates generally include an air-accumulating chamber and a valve chamber associated therewith and connected thereto by a. small opening in the Wall separatingthem; The valve chamber is generally cylindrical and its wall is perforated and is filled with a stack of hygroscopic, centrally perforated discs that reaches short of the roof of the valve chamber, when dry. The air in the hot water heating system accumulates in the first chamber and escapes through the opening in the separating Wall to the valve chamber, where it passes through the hygroscopic disc opening, .over the top of the stack of discs and around them and through the openings in the valve chamber wall. When all of the accumulated air escapes, water reaches the discs, which swell and abut against the roof ,of the valve chamber, shutting off the escape of, any air or water through the chamber wall. The valve stays closed until the discs are dried by newly accumulating warm air and by the outside air, to commence a new cycle.

I ha b e f und th s c ygro cop scape valves frequently become clogged by the grimy dirt and th so d m t a a ly oun ac he surfa ed the water which enters the valve, chamber at the end of each a r esc p cy elie e ot e. n way h s e foun .0 cle n n such l gged a cape al es w hout pehi s n dis ant n t s me; a pro du whi h 116C635!- l t U 1 u tin i of h heatin s st m ha a t,

t e sh tin of he Part cula rad at 0. whic t v v is installed.

Th p e tihven sn is d rested to t e p is on of a y roscop a es ape va ve of the haras bs which is substantially self-cleaning and may be rid of a y c i m erial without as being dismantled and may be installed, used .and manipulated.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an air escape valve of the character described which is of relatively simple construction and easy to assemble and may be produced at relatively little increase in cost over the same general type of valve heretofore produced.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the hygroscopic air escape valves of the present invention "ice ;will become more re dily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles ,and practices of the invention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to .the specific details therein shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional and partly elevational .view of a hygroscopic air escape valve embodying the present invention; shown in operating position for the escape of air; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same; shown in self .cleaning position.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawing, the hygroscopic air-escape valve of the present invention therein illustrated comprises a conventional air accumulating chamber, 10, which is preferably a cylinder provided at one end with an externally threaded nipple, 12, and at its other end with a cap, 14, in the fiat Wall of which is formed, preferably centrally, a small ,air escape opening, 16.

Formed on the exterior of the cap 14, on its flat. wall, surrounding the opening 16, is a cylinder, 18, the outer ,open end of which is internally threaded, as at 20, and the .inner portion of which, below the threads, is provided with a plurality of apertures, 22, and houses the stack .of hygroscopic flat rings or centrally perforated discs, 24, whose central openings 26, are in register with the opening 14.

A plug, 30 having the externally threaded portion, 32, is engaged by its. threads in the, upper threaded portion 20 of the cylinder 18, with its unthreaded portion projecting above the cylinder 18. The plug 30 is formed with a central longitudinally extending passageway,34, the upper or outer portion of which is internally threaded, as

.at 36, and the inner terminal of which is taperingly or otherwise restricted to form an opening, 38, of lesser diameterthan the passage way 34; the tapering portion, if any, forming a valve seat, 40. A radially extending passageway, 42, is formed through the wall of the plug 30, above its externally threaded portion 32, and preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal passageway 34, said passageway 42 connecting the passageway 34 to the exterior ofthe plug 30. A nozzle extension, 44, may preferably be provided at the outer end of the passageway 42- A valve pin, 46, having a threaded upper or outer port n, 8, an an u thr ade o wha h n l e Port on, 5 i p it ne n h p sa ay 4. its threa d Port o 48 eng gin inth t d po n 36 f t plu pa ag way; nd it un h ded po n 50 e n in n o he u thr ad p io o h p P sageway 34. The inner end of the valve pin is tapered to fit into the valve seat 40, or directly into the opening 38, if there is no valve seat, to seal the passageway 34 at that point, when the pin is fully inserted thereinto. The valve pin 46 is preferably provided with a screw head, 56, or other suitable means whereby it may be engaged for manipulation into and out of the valve closing posit n h eof- The valve pin 46 is normally maintained in innermost position, 'to close the opening 38, so that the plug seals the inner portion of the cylinder 18 at its top, confining all communication with the exterior through its apertures 22, when the discs 24 are dry, and sealing the inner portion of the cylinder completely from the exterior when the discs 24 are wet and press against the inner face of the plug 30 because of their expansion. When it is desired to clean the valve chamber containing the discs 24, the pin 46 is raised to open the opening 38, as shown in Fig. 2. This connects the interior of the disc housing portion of the cylinder 18 with the exterior of the plug 30, through the passageways 34 and 42 and permits a stream of water from the hot water system to flow through the openings of the stack of discs 24, through the opening 38, to the exterior of the plug 30. As this stream of water is generally under pressure, it will carry with it any dirt or grit that might be lodged in the opening 14 and in the passage through the center of the stack of rings 24, to clear such dirt out. The water and dirt escaping through the nozzle 44 may be readily caught in a receptacle, to prevent any flooding or messing up the surroundmgs.

This completes the description of the self flushing hygroscopic air escape valve of the present invention. It will be readily apparent that such valve is of relatively simple construction and simple and easy to operate. It will also be apparent that it is highly efiicient for its purpose of cleaning the air escape valve mechanism without the need of dismantling the valve or any portion thereof or of disconnecting it from the hot water system in which it is installed. It will likewise be apparent that the valve of the present invention may also be easily dismantled for the conventional type of cleaning and for replacement of the hygroscopic discs, when necessary.

It will be further apparent that numerous variations and modifications in the air-escape valves of the present invention may be made by any one skilled in the art, in accordance with the principles of the invention herein before set forth and without the exercise of any inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations and modifications that may be made within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. In a hygroscopic air escape valve of the character described having an air accumulating chamber and an open top cylindrical valve chamber adapted to house a stack of annular hygroscopic elements therewithin mounted on said air accumulating chamber, and an aperture formed in the wall of said air accumulating chamber opposite the center of said stack of annular hygroscopic elements when located within said valve chamber, for the passage of fluid between said chambers, said valve chamber being internally threaded at its open end, a cylindrical plug having an externally threaded inner end portion engaged by said threaded inner end portion within said outer end portion of said valve chamber, said plug having a longitudinal passageway formed therethrough in alinement with said aperture, its inner end portion forming a continuous, unobstructed passageway with said aperture and the center of said annular hygroscopic elements, said passageway constricted at its inner end to form a narrow valve opening, a second passageway formed in said plug extending laterally from said longitudinal passageway at a point above its threaded portion and connecting said longitudinal passageway with the exterior of the plug, a valve pin having a tapered inner end adapted to seat within said constricted valve opening to seal the same positioned within said longitudinal passageway, and means retaining said valve pin in longitudinally adjustable position within said longitudinal passageway.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the inner portion of said valve pin is of slightly lesser diameter than the inner portion of said longitudinal passageway.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the means for retaining said valve pin within said longitudinal passageway comprises threads formed in the outer portion of said first passageway and cooperating threads formed on the outer portion of said valve pin.

4. In a hygroscopic air escape valve of the character described, having an air accumulating chamber and an open top valve chamber adapted to house a stack of annular hygroscopic elements mounted on said air accumulating chamber, a communicating aperture formed between said chambers for the passage of fluid between them, a plug closing the open end of said valve chamber and projecting therefrom, said plug having a longitudinal passageway formed therethrough in alinement with said aperture, its inner end portion forming a continuous, unobstructed passageway with said aperture through the center of a stack of annular hygroscopic elements, when located within said valve chamber a second passageway extending laterally from said longitudinal passageway and connecting the same with the exterior of the projecting portion of said plug, said longitudinal passageway constricted at its inner end to form a narrow valve opening, a valve pin disposed within said longitudinal passageway, said valve pin having an inner end adapted to seal said valve opening, and means retaining said valve pin in longitudinally adjustable position within said longitudinal passageway.

5. The hygroscopic air escape valve of claim 4, wherein said plug is removably held within said open end of said valve chamber.

6. In a hygroscopic air escape valve of the character described, having an air accumulating chamber and an open top valve chamber adapted to house a stack of annular hygroscopic elements mounted on said air accumulating chamber, a communicating aperture formed between said chambers for the flow of fluid between them opposite the center of said stack of annular elements when located within said valve chamber, a plug removably held in said open top end of said valve chamber and projecting therefrom, said plug having a passageway formed longitudinally therethrough in alinement with said aperture, its inner end portion forming a continuous, unobstructed passageway with said aperture and the center of said annular hygroscopic elements, a second passageway formed in said plug extending laterally from said longitudinal passageway and connecting the same with the exterior of the projecting portion of said plug, said longitudinal passageway constricted at its inner end to form a narrow valve opening, a valve pin having a tapered inner end adapted to fit within said valve opening to seal the same positioned within said first passageway, said valve pin having an outer portion fitting snugly within the outer portion of said longitudinal passageway and an inner portion of lesser thickness than the inner portion of said longitudinal passageway, and means retaining said valve pin in longitudinally adjustable position within said longitudinal passageway.

7. The hygroscopic air escape valve of claim 6, wherein the means for retaining said valve pin within said elongitudinal passageway comprises threads formed on the outer portion of said longitudinal passageway and cooperating threads formed on the outer, thicker portion of said valve pin.

Boyd Mar. 25, 1919 Mikeska Apr. 12, 1949 

